Leaf-turner for music-books



No; 6|5,403. Patented D66. 6, I898.

v A. MCRAE.

LEAF TURNER FOB MUSIC B OOKS.

(Application filed Nov. 4, 1897-) nnummm No. 65,403. Patented Dec. 6, 1.898. A. McRAE.

LEAF TURNER FOR MUSIC BOOKS.

(Application filed New. 4, 1897.) (No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2.

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A. McRAE. L E'AF TURNER FOR MUSIC BOOKS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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ALEXANDER MORAE, OF MILTON, OREGON.-

LEAF-TURNER FOR MUSlC- -BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,403, dated December 6, 1898. Application filed November 4, 1897. Serial No. 657,367. (No model.)

' To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MORAE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milton, in the county of Umatilla and State of Oregon, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Leaf-Turners for Music-Books and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in leaf-turners for music-books and the like, and has for its object to provide a simple and effective device by means of which a person may quickly turn a leaf of a book or music previously placed upon the rack in either direction and continue to turn said leaves back and forth as occasion may require 5 and a further object of my invention is to provide simple means for holding the leaves upon the rack or removing them therefrom when it is desired to substitute others therefor; and a still further object of my invention is to adapt my improvement for the holding and manipulation of a single leaf; and an incidental object of my invention is to provide for the securement of separate leaves together or for the strengthening of folded sheets upon the creased lines.

WVith these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improvement, illustrating the manner of securing the leaves upon the rack; Fig. 2, a rear view of the rack; Fig. 3, a section at the line so as of Fig. 2 to illustrate the attaching means, the retaining-wires B and blocks J being omitted; Fig. at, an enlarged View of a portion of the rack, showing the operating-levers by the removal of the top plate; Fig. 5, a section at the line y y of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6, a detail section of the upper clamping-finger and also showing the clip for securing the upper portion of a single leaf, whereby the latter may be turned to and fro without displacement.

In carrying out my invention as here em bodied I provide a rack A, which may be of any suitable design and size, and secure thereon the retaining-wires B, on which are formed the coils O to give a spring action to said wires, the object of which is that a book may be secured upon the rack by the back thereof being placed beneath these retainingwires, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. As a further means for securing the book in place a finger D is placed at the lower portion of the rack and projects upward in order that the center of the book may be placed back of this finger, and also a clamping-wire E projects downward upon the central line of the rack and is secured to a thumb-piece F, hinged at Gto the rack and having secured therebeneath the coil-spring H, by which arrangement the clamp-wire is held in firm contact with the central portion of the book, and the especial advantage of this is that in turning the leaves to and fro they, being held at their centers, will easily turn without a tendency to cramp or tear.

A series of arms I are secured to the camblocks J, which in turn are pivoted at K be tween a series of supports L, the latter being secured to the plates M, which are held upon the rack by means of suitable screws N, and, as will be seen, this arrangement permits the free swinging of these arms from one side to the other of the rack at right angles to the vertical center thereof. Each of the arms is bent upward at its outer end and terminates in a spring-clip 0, adapted to grasp the lower edge of a leaf, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, and these clips are arranged at varying distances from the upper points of the arms in order that they may not interfere with one another when lying upon the same side of the ing lying in the same plane as the surface of the rack, while the operating portions of the levers are bent parallel with the lower edge of the rack, each lever in each of the series extending to a greater distance below the edge of this rack in order that they may not interfere with one another, while the inner portions of the levers also lie parallel with the lower edge of the rack or at right angles to its vertical axis, and these portions likewise lie in different horizontal planes,so as to bring each thereof into alinement with one of the cam-blocks, and as each of the series is arranged in the same manner relative to the cam-blocks, but upon opposite sides thereof, it will be seen that when a cam-block is swung to one side by the manipulation of one of the levers it is then in the position to be swung to the reverse side by the manipulation of a corresponding lever in the opposite series. The outer ends of the operating-levers are provided with keys or finger-disks R and R, by means of which the levers may be 0011- veniently manipulated by exerting pressure upon these keys, and in practice this arrangement will enable a person to turn the music to and fro with but little care and attention, since by familiarity with the action of the device a leaf may be turned without looking at the keys, and this is of great importance to performers of instrumental music, since the entire attention may be given to the music and keyboard of the instrument and yet the leaves quickly turned either forward or backward for the observing of the music thereon, as shown in Fig. 5. The inner ends of the operating-levers so lie relative to the cam-blocks that when a key is operated this inner end will act upon the block in such manner as to cam said block and cause it to swing upon its pivot-point K until describing a half-circle, after which the corresponding lever in the opposite series will then occupy the same relative position to the cam-block as was previously occupied by the first-named lever, so that when it in turn is operated the cam-block will be turned to its forward position; and these operations may be performed indefinitely, so that after the music-book has been properly placed upon the rack and attached to the operating arms the several leaves thereof may be first turned fbrward and then backward and again forward for the reper forming of the same music.

To prevent a disagreeable or undue noise by the stopping of the inner ends of the le vers when being manipulated, cushions S are located beneath the plates M, so as to receive the impact of the levers, and thus absorb the shock which would otherwise be occasioned thereby.

It sometimes happens that a single leaf is used upon the rack, in which case the finger D and clamping-wire E would have no effect thereon, and the only point of attachment of such a leaf in the construction just described would be at one of the clips 0, and this would result in the upper portion of the leaf becoming displaced when the lever was operated to bring about the turning of this leaf from side to side. Therefore to avoid this difficulty I provide a secondary clip T, adapted to clasp the upper edge of this leaf, and the clasp T is carried by a short arm U, which is pivoted upon the clamp-wire E. Thus when the leaf is swung from side to side by the operating-arm the clasp T will hold its upper edge and cause the edge thereof which lies upon the axial line of the rack to turn as upon a pivot-point, thereby securing the desired result.

The rack may be secured to the ordinary music-rack or some other portion of the musical instrument by the attaching-wire V engaging therewith, and also by the hooks -W, projecting under the ledge of the ordinary rack.

' It is not essential for ordinary purposes that the spring-actuated blades of the clips 0 be provided but for one of the arms, since so long as the ends of these arms project between-the levers they will produce the. desired result.

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new and useful is 1. A leaf-turner consisting of a suitable base, two series of levers, each bent in the form of a crank and journaled within the base with their approaching ends separated, a vertical shaft arranged in the base, at right angles to the ends of the levers, a series of rectangular blocks mounted on the shaft and separated from one another, said blocks be ing mounted on the shaft eccentrically and so positioned with relation to the ends of the levers that their ends will be alternately engaged by said levers, an arm connected to each of said blocks, and means on the ends of the arms for engaging the leaves, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a rack of the character described, a series of arms terminating in clasps for the turning of the leaves, and a secondary clasp carried by a short arm pivoted to some member of the rack whereby a single leaf may be operated, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER MoRAE.

lVitnesses:

F. G. HULL, N. A. DAvIs. 

